Farm to table 2: Organic practices grow

When Linda Hoffman moved to A & M Orchards, now known as Old Frog Pond Farm, on Eldridge Road in Harvard 10 years ago, she was determined to run the farm using organic practices.

Kimberly A. Hooper

EDITOR’S NOTE This article is the second in a series looking at agriculture.

When Linda Hoffman moved to A & M Orchards, now known as Old Frog Pond Farm, on Eldridge Road in Harvard 10 years ago, she was determined to run the farm using organic practices.

“Initially when I moved here there was an orchard that had been neglected for about five years and I wanted to bring it back,” Hoffman said. “I knew I wanted it to be organic. There was no question in my mind.”

While Hoffman admits there is a steep learning curve that comes with running a certified-organic farm, she said she wouldn’t reverse her decision to go organic six years ago.

“Being certified-organic sets us apart,” she said.

According to the state Department of Agricultural Resources, the number of organic farms in Massachusetts has increased, from 129 in 2002 to 295 in 2007. Organic sales have also gone up, from $7.8 million in 2002 to $17.5 million in 2007.

Organically grown food is grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Pesticides derived from sources, such as biological pesticides, may be used in producing organically grown food.

Don Franczyk, executive director at Baystate Organic Certifiers, said since the recession a few years back, he’s noticed more and more farms are becoming interested in organic certification.

“A lot of small farmers starting up are doing their own things and there’s money available through the government for farms to transition to organic,” Franczyk said. “The whole ‘buy local’ aspect is catching on.”

Baystate, in North Dighton, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program accredited certifying agent that certifies farm operations in the Northeast.

The USDA’s National Organic Program requires that farms marketing their products as organic must be certified by an accredited certifying agent, such as Baystate. According to the USDA, growers and livestock producers whose gross agricultural incomes from organic sales totals $5,000 or less annually are exempt from the requirement to be certified.

Hutchins Farm in Concord has been certified-organic since the 1980s. Farm manager Brian Cramer said growing organically is a way to highlight the quality of the farm’s products.

“For us it’s also a way to differentiate our product,” he said. “We are in competition with other farm stands and grocery stores and we like to think the main selling point is that we carry extremely fresh and high-quality produce.”

What about certification?

Dwight and Barb Sipler, owners of Small Farm in Stow, aren’t interested in pursuing organic certification, but emphasized not having certification doesn’t affect the way their produce is grown.

“It only affects what we can call it,” Dwight said.

The farm decided not to pursue organic certification when the requirement became effective in 2002, as part of the 1990 Organic Food Production Act, because of significant fees and paperwork associated with it.

“We don’t have the time to deal with that,” Dwight said. “I don’t think it’s necessary to be certified if you are dealing with local people.”

To become certified, a farm must first submit an application packet (Organic Farm Plan) to an accredited certifying agent for review. Livestock and poultry producers need to submit the Organic Livestock Plan in addition to the Organic Farm Plan, according to Baystate.

Once the application(s) is reviewed, the certifier goes to the site for an inspection and verifies that all the information in the application is correct and that the operation is in compliance with the National Organic Standards. After a discussion with the grower or livestock producer, the certifier submits the report to Baystate for final review and a certification decision.

Franczyk said once a farm is granted certification, the license is good until surrendered, suspended or revoked. Certification must be renewed annually.
If people have any doubts about a farm’s certification, Franczyk said they can ask to see the farm’s license — farms are required to show it.

Dwight said he isn’t worried that customers will lose confidence in Small Farm just because it’s not certified. He believes certification is necessary only for wholesale markets and markets beyond the local area.

“I think organic certification is nice to have, but we’re more interested in local farming and showing people for themselves how we operate,” he said.

Cramer said there are many misconceptions when it comes to the word “organic.”

“Many people think it means no spray and that’s not true,” he said. “If we weren’t able to spray at all, we probably wouldn’t be able to successfully cultivate all the crops that we do.”

Cramer added there are lots of crops that they don’t spray at all, others that are seldom sprayed and relatively few that are routinely sprayed.

Farms that are certified organic use composts and sprays that are approved by the EPA. If there is frost or major insect issues, farms can also use row covers, which are lightweight, reusable blankets that are rain, sunlight and air-permeable, to keep insects and frost from damaging crops.

Cramer said chemicals in conventional sprays not approved for organic production by the EPA are stronger and can have a much longer period of residual activity.

“But organic sprays are only active for a about a day before they are broken down by the sunlight,” he said. “They are based on naturally occurring, non-synthetic pesticidal materials. We just have to be more aware of lifecycles of insects.”

Hoffman said since her farm became certified-organic she no longer immediately reaches for the chemical sprays.

“I find that I look more closely at the insects and fungi,” she said. “I carefully watch what’s happening to the products and wait and see if it’s an epidemic or just a few pests.”

Contact Kimberly A. Hooper at khooper@wickedlocal.com.

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